Taken by Storm
by TheRavyn
Summary: Plagued by blank visions, unexplained sounds, and feelings that aren't hers, Alice and the Cullens get involved in the search for a missing girl who seems to be responsible for it all. They have no idea exactly how responsible she is.
1. Chapter 1 A Storm is Brewing

_They say that the stone countenance of a vampire isn't merely physical. It encompasses every aspect of their being the moment venom takes over their veins. Frozen in time, from the length of their hair to their frame of mind. It takes something monumental to cause a change, and any change is permanent. _

PROLOGUE

I scanned the length of her fragile, broken body coming to rest on the warm chocolate colored depths of her eyes that, despite her slowing heart, shone with an unwavering spark of life. At that moment I felt something cave inside me and emotions long forgotten flooded my senses. Tears that had refused to fall since awakening in this body streamed down my face and I fell to my knees at her side.

Carefully I took her hand in mine, cringing at the lack of warmth, and brushed a piece of blood-soaked hair from her face. Her wet clothes clung tightly to her emaciated frame and I let her go long enough to wrap my thick coat around her. Too little too late, but I had to do something. I kissed her forehead and sat back. She watched everything in silence. After all that had happened to her she still radiated that sense of peace. With what had to be the very last ounce of strength left in her dying body, she shakily raised her hand and wiped away my tears.

"Don't cry."

Anyone else would have missed the whispered breath, but we could hear.

I heard.

And I knew I was gone.

**Chapter 1 **

**A Storm is Brewing **

Jasper dipped the tip of the paintbrush into the bronze paint and wiped the excess on the rim of the jar. The tiny soldier in his hand awaited the finishing touch of brass buttons on his coat. With his enhanced vision he could see light dancing off of the grains of pigment as he quickly but precisely dotted them on. He placed the new recruit on the battlefield laid out before him, glanced up at the ceiling and smiled. He could hear Alice upstairs in their room, grumbling under her breath.

With the brushes clean and dried, he closed up his paints and locked the door to the study on his way out. None of them normally locked doors, little work for a vampire anyway, but they all respected each others privacy too. Emmett was his only real concern. He could only imagine what would become of the fruits of his new hobby if the jokester found himself alone in that room for five minutes. The museums and charities the dioramas were donated to probably wouldn't appreciate a Civil War populated with clowns and drag queens. Hopefully Emmett would just stay away from the room but his nose usually ended up exactly where it wasn't supposed to be.

Their bedroom door was slightly ajar, he could see Alice's form under the dark blue comforter that covered their king size bed. She was holding a pillow over her face and scolding her ability for not working properly. Jasper slid inside the door without making a sound and crouched, preparing to jump.

"I'm not THAT oblivious, Jaz." She mumbled. Jasper grinned and leapt gracefully onto the bed. He laid down next to her, gently moving her arms and lifting the pillow. She opened her golden eyes to look at her husband.

"Well a man has to take every opportunity with an opponent such as you, my love. I thought maybe you were a bit preoccupied." He kissed the tip of her nose and propped his head on his hand to watch her beautiful face.

"You know, if you keep up all this fussing, Esme is gonna be on your back wanting to know whats wrong."

She smiled at his southern drawl but the smile faded all too fast, replaced by the worried look she had worn for the last two days. Only Jasper was allowed to see her vulnerable, her emotions took over her face when they were alone.

"Jasper, it's driving me crazy!" she jerked the pillow back over her head.

"How many now?"

Alice slid the pillow behind her head. " Four. All the same. Nothing...blackness."

"And your normal visions are working as usual?"

She paused and closed her eyes, testing herself before answering.

"Working fine, everyone will be home in about 53 minutes. I just don't understand. Are they supposed to mean something and I'm just not getting it or is there possibly something wrong with me?"

She searched his eyes for answers they both knew weren't there. Jasper stroked her pale cheek and pulled her to his chest.

"I won't be able to keep Edward from catching on anymore, the last one was two minutes long. He will see them if he's around."

" Well hopefully you weren't planning on keeping this a secret forever sweetheart. Everyone needs to know. "

" But I don't have any answers for them Jaz. This is what I do and right now I feel broken and exposed..."

"Exposed, huh?" He pulled the comforter up and looked at her body underneath. "Nope you have entirely too much clothing on to be exposed." Sitting back to look at her, a mischievous grin spread across his face. "I could fix that you know. What was that you said about everyone being home in 53 minutes?"

He nuzzled the tender area behind her delicate ear. Alice giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled the comforter over them and proceeded to make her forget her worries, at least for the next 53 minutes or so.

The trees bent slightly as Edward jumped from one to another. He stopped to listened to the voices of his family about a mile north of him. Carlisle and Esme had settled themselves against a tree on the cliff edge, wrapped in each other's arms to watch the coming sunset. Rosalie and Emmett bickered over heading back into the mountains to search for Emmett's favorite meal.

"Pleeeeease Rosie, we won't go too far, I'm just really in the mood for something with more of a bite." He wagged his eyebrows at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Seriously Emmett, I do not feel like trekking halfway across the state just so you can play with your food." Rosalie crossed her arms and stared at her husband.

" Awwwww, come on babe, I don't wanna go alone." He dropped to his knees in front of her and hugged her around the waist, looking at her with puppy dog eyes and a pouty lip.

She let out a loud exasperated sigh.

"Fine, let's go. But you better hurry up because I'm going home in an hour, bear or no bear." She pulled away as he jumped to his feet. Rosalie tossed her long golden hair over her shoulder and turned back towards the mountains with Emmett right on her heels.

Edward, standing in the treetop looked back over the vast expanse of the Olympic National Forest to the white peaks his brother and sister headed for. Washington was so perfect for the Cullens. Overcast weather most of the year meant they could lead almost normal lives and the vast amount of uninhabited park lands that covered the state allowed them to feed without fear of discovery. Seven vampires could put a serious dent in the local wildlife. The opportunity to spread out their hunting grounds helped them keep their secret but also meant the deer, bear, and mountain lion populations didn't suffer from the losses.

_Edward dear, are you ok?_

He jumped a little at Esme's unspoken question, he had been lost in his thoughts. Over the years he had learned to somewhat stifle the almost constant stream of others thoughts. His family could be tuned out so fully that at times like this, when his mind was far away, it could take them a few tries to even get through to him.

"I'm fine, Esme. Just enjoying the view."

_Stay close, please._

"Yes, Mom."

Edward smiled to himself. They couldn't have asked for a better matriarch. Dear, sweet, Esme, overprotective of her almost indestructible brood. The loss of her infant son is what brought her to Carlisle and this life. Her mothering nature was only amplified by the change. She knew full well there was little that could hurt her precious family, but she also knew the pain of such a loss and had vowed to never experience it again.

The branches blurred as he made his way closer to the ocean. The sky above tranquil as the clouds drifted by wearing the rainbows of sunset. The trees thinned slightly before they reached the cliffs edge and here he stopped. Swaying gently in the wind he looked out over the ocean. The rhythmic waves lapped against the rocks below and gulls cried overhead. The soothing melodies of nature surrounded him. He breathed deeply of the salty ocean air and a hint of freesia and strawberry caught his attention. It hitched in his throat for a moment and it sent a shiver down his spine. Such ordinary scents but out of place here, and together they stirred unfamiliar feelings in him. Warm and peaceful yet his skin tingled in anticipation. His eyes closed as he let the scent linger in his lungs and on his tongue, wanting to steal this moment and keep it for all time.

He felt the sun leave his skin as it finally dipped below the ocean's edge, rays of light dancing on the horizon as they faded away. Not wanting to lose the scent that was fading with the day, he stopped breathing. A smile played at his lips, he was content for the first time in so long. No thoughts warring in his head, no overwhelming emotions to remind him of all he didn't have.

_Edward we are heading home now. _

"I'll be right behind you, Esme"

The scent was gone, lost with his spoken words. Only the crisp ocean air met his lungs as he searched for any traces. He glanced up at the dark clouds in the distance knowing they would blow inland soon enough. He sighed and dropped to the forest floor.

Normally he would run home, the speed and freedom exhilarating, instead he chose to walk letting his head clear.

Esme was the only one to look his way as he shut the front door. He widened his smile a bit and headed up the stairs to his room. He saw himself through her eyes and heard her musing over his smile and something in the air, hope was the word that sprung to her mind. Then she started remembering things about himself he didn't want to see so he tuned her out.

Esme's POV

A bit overcome, Esme watched him retreat to his room just as he usually did. He hadn't smiled in so long. She couldn't stifle the little swell of hope for him.

She had watched his spark fade over the years, gradually losing interest in everything. Human-like psychosis started to plague him, depression being the worst. Not just the good things are amplified when you change and what would be depression for a human would be an all-consuming black hole for a vampire. If they sunk too far inside themselves there was no guarantee of ever getting them back. She and Carlisle had tried desperately to find ways to help him cope. They had spent endless days and nights picking apart what may have caused it to begin with but even Edward couldn't answer that. How do you find solutions when you don't know the cause?

Sometimes he would just leave the house and hide himself in the forest but during the really bad times he never left his room. Never moving for days on end, a living statue lost in his own gray thoughts. For years he fought to keep control of his emotions. It took the entire family to help him win the battle. Alice had kept a vigilant eye on his future making sure to never leave his side when he needed her. Jasper regulated his moods as best he could. The others tried everything to keep him occupied. Hunting, running, sports, hobbies. Even Rosalie had tried to help, on more than one occasion dragging him to the garage to work on the cars.

Eventually it worked. He was able to stabilize himself enough to resume their normal charade but Esme could tell he was still broken inside. The light was gone from his eyes and his beautiful smile had disappeared altogether. She had become even more concerned and protective of him. She knew it probably irritated him to no end but her heart broke every time she looked at him.

The warmth she saw when he smiled at her for that split second was enough to rekindle her longing to have the old Edward back.

It was also enough for her to get the feeling that things were going to change. She smiled to herself as she headed up to her office.

It's about damn time.

Edwards POV

Edward closed his door and leaned back against it. This room was his saving grace. The outer walls were floor to ceiling windows with the farthest even opening directly into the forest.

Of the many absurd human issues he had developed over the years, claustrophobia was the one he had never learned to deal with. Esme had remodeled the entire house before they moved back to make him feel at ease. She had also installed as many windows as she could and had replaced the rear wall of the first floor. He could never thank her enough for all she did.

His stereo system and shelf upon shelf of music lined the inner walls. Without looking, he grabbed a CD from the wall and put it in the player. The haunting notes of "Sleepwalk" filled the room as he crossed the wooden floor to the huge pile of pillows that served as his furniture. He fell back into them and looked up to the evening sky. The stars were visible for once in dreary overcast Forks.

He absentmindedly ran his hand over the different textures of the pillows. Some satin, some suede, even some leather. Different sizes and shapes but they were all rich chocolate brown, his favorite color.

Vampires didn't need soft things to be comfortable but he found himself drawn to them, or maybe the idea of the comfort they afforded humans. Either way, this was his sanctuary. The only place he could completely relax.

The images that had plagued Esme's mind found their way into his thoughts. His face as he talked to his family as he made the motions of everyday life but you could see he wasn't really there. So many of him walking away, even as they were reaching out to him

He had seen them all before. A series of images of him sitting motionless in his bedroom floor, eyes vacant. He had been like that for almost a month before Esme hit her breaking point and smacked him back to reality.

Then there were the ones she didn't even know about. All the times Alice had found him after days wandering aimlessly in the mountains. He would go weeks without hunting, not caring what happened. The times she had caught his thoughts drifting towards finding a way to end his existence.

He shook his head.

It still shamed him that he wasn't strong enough to push those feelings back and fix himself, but they had all stuck by him. Honestly, without them he didn't think he would have made it this long. Hell he knew he wouldn't have. He knew how lucky he was to have a family that loved him enough to fight for him and that in itself had helped keep him sane.

"Come in Alice."

She opened the door and just stood there.

"What is it?" He noticed the worried look on her face and patted the pillows next to him then crossed his arms behind his head. She still hesitated a moment before closing the door and sitting down next to him.

"Alice, I don't think I've ever seen you nervous before." He all but whispered to her, sensing her need for some form of semi privacy. The others save Jasper, were all in the living room watching TV. They had all learned to tune each other out for the most part but he smiled when Carlisle picked up the remote and turned the volume up. Overly sensitive hearing and seven adults in one house required a certain amount of etiquette, he was glad his father was an expert in the subject.

"Edward, I'm having a problem. I wanted to talk to you about it before you saw it for yourself."

"Ok, well Alice, you know you shouldn't worry about telling me anything. I think all things considered we are beyond that by now. You are privy to some of my most dastardly deeds you know." He smiled at her, trying to put her at ease.

"I don't know exactly whats going on." She picked up the edge of his shirt and started playing with the buttons.

" Just say it Al, or think it if you want."

"That's just it, I couldn't think it to you, you wouldn't see anything. I keep having blank visions."

A button popped off his shirt and pinged against the glass wall.

"Oops, sorry, I'll fix that." She went to grab the button from the floor but he grabbed her arm to stop her.

He just stared at her, waiting.

"Ok, ok, watch." She closed her eyes and started flipping through recent visions in her head. Edward watched with her. They were like little movie clips, you could see clearly what was going on in each. Some had happened already some hadn't, but nothing out of the ordinary. Then they just stopped.

"There."

He kept watching as a few more scenes played out in her mind then they stopped again.

"There."

They blanked out twice more, the last one going on for over two minutes.

Alice focused on Edward once more. Her face still scrunched up in worry.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Only the last two days."

"Very strange. And this has never happened before?"

She smacked his arm.

"Don't you think I would have mentioned that?"

He raised his eyebrows at her and shrugged.

She smacked him again.

Edward stifled a laugh, Alice staring at him incredulously.

"Edward Anthony Mason Cullen, was that a chuckle I heard come from your mouth?"

"I believe it was dear sister."

"Well Saints preserve me!"

Her perfect Irish accent made him laugh again.

She threw her hand dramatically to her head and pretended to faint back into the pillows. After a moment she turned on her side to face him, grinning.

"I didn't know you still knew how to do that."

He shook his head smiling.

"Weren't we discussing something of importance here?"

"We were, until you _laughed_ at me! Seriously, I'm still in shock."

"Ok, no more laughing."

His face instantly smoothed, intensely serious.

"Only for now though, I like it when you laugh. You should do it more often."

He couldn't contain his lopsided smile as he sat up.

"Is it just me or do those blank visions have an odd feeling about them?"

"They do, I thought it was just that they scared me but I guess not. They feel, I don't know, heavy? Ominous? Expectant? GAHH! I don't even know how to explain it, how am I supposed to tell everyone else?"

"What about the silence? Is that normal?"

"A lot of my visions have sound but not all of them. I think it depends on the importance of what can be heard. I've never had any that felt like that. It's creepy."

"Hmmm, so four in two days. Not that much to go on. How about we just wait a little bit and see if we can get a better idea of what is going on? Then we can try to explain it to the others."

"I'm scared. What if it's something vitally important and I'm not getting it?"

He leaned over and kissed the top of her head.

"Relax little sister. You are so used to knowing everything in advance that you are working yourself into a panic over nothing. I can't think of many things that would pose any kind of threat to our family, can you?"

"I never said threat, I said vitally important."

He looked at her, feeling there was something behind those words that she wasn't telling him but he knew better than to try to get information from Alice. If he should know, she would tell him.

"Would you like me to watch your visions with you for the next few days?"

"Yeah, maybe together we can catch something I'm missing."

"Well," he looked at her, very serious again, "they do say two heads are better than one."

She rolled her eyes.

"Edward, you are such a dorky vampire. I still love you though."

She hopped to her feet and headed out of his room, pausing at the door.

"Edward?"

He turned from the starry sky to look at her.

"Thank you."

With that, she flitted down the hall to Jasper. Her head starting to fill with more intimate thoughts.

"Alice!"

"Oops, sorry Edward."

He laid back down on the pillows and looked up at the sky. He had never seen Alice like that and he had made light of the situation to keep her calm. In all honesty he was just as unsettled by it as she was. It was the "feeling" that came with the blank visions. There was no good way to explain what it felt like but it made him nervous. It also made him feel that Alice was exactly right and there _was _something happening. Something important. They just needed to figure out what.

He knew they needed to tell Carlisle even if they didn't tell the others right away. He wouldn't tell her secrets behind her back, Alice would see the importance of Carlisle knowing and they would tell him together. Yes, that would work out fine. He would talk to her about it during school tomorrow.

The stars began to disappear one by one as a dark cloud slowly rolled in. For the moment he brushed all the issues aside, closed his eyes, and thought about freesias and strawberries. It filled his mind and the warmth spread through him just as it had in the treetop.

"Hey Alice?"

_Yes?_

"You know those scented candles you liked for a while?"

_Yep. What about them?_

"Do you know if they come in a combination of freesia and strawberry?"

_I'm sure I can find some that do, would you like me to get you some?_

"If you don't mind, I'd like that very much."

_Consider it done._

"Thank you Alice."

His lips turned up and he spent the rest of the night enjoying the pleasure even the thought of the scent brought him.


	2. Chapter 2 Clouds Rolling In

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of it's characters. This makes me cry at night. Really it does.

**Chapter 2**

"But Moooooooom, I don't wanna go to school today! Rosie looks much too comfy in her undies to have to put yucky old clothes on."

They all heard the following smack.

Edward laughed as he buttoned his shirt.

"Ho-ly shit! Did Edward just laugh?"

The bedroom door flew open and Emmett stood there slack jawed, staring. He rushed to Edward's side and placed a hand to his forehead as if checking for a fever.

"Edward, do you feel alright? Do you need to sit down?"

Rolling his eyes, Edward went to get shoes from the closet but Emmett grabbed his wrist and checked for a pulse. Then he grabbed Edward by the shoulders and put an ear to his chest.

"Carlisle! I'm no doctor, but I think he might be dead!"

At that Edward shook his head, laughing, and pushed Emmett off of him.

"I don't think a second opinion is needed, now get out of here before we are late for school."

"Fine Eddie my boy, but you do realize what your sudden 180 back into the land of the not-quite-living means?"

Edward just looked at him.

Emmett grinned as wide as inhumanly possible.

"It is ON brotha! You better prepare yourself because by my calculations it has been..."

He pretended to count on his fingers.

"It's been a good 40 years since you could take a joke. That's a lot of time to make up for."

"Emmett, " Esme called from her bedroom, "you better be nice."

"Don't worry mom, I wouldn't wanna scare off Eddie's cute little dimples."

He laughed and took off down the hall as Edward threw a shoe at him. It connected with a resounding "crack" and Edward smiled.

"That really hurt! I'm going to have a lump there, you idiot! Who throws a shoe? Honestly! You fight like a woman."

"Austin Powers." Edward said with a grin as he recalled the random trivia his brother used to be obsessed with. Thinking back on that, he realized how long it had been since he had heard Emmett jaunty enough to spout trivia.

"One point for Eddie! I'm proud, he's been paying more attention than I thought."

What was left of his shoe came sailing back into his room in two pieces which bounced across the floor in either direction.

"Hope you didn't wanna wear that."

He tossed the one he was still holding into the garbage followed by the remains of the other and slipped on a pair of black loafers. His siblings were already going out the door as Edward came down the stairs.

"Shotgun!" Emmett yelled.

"Like we could squeeze your big ass into the back." Rosalie said and rolled her eyes.

"We could try to stuff him behind the seats." Jasper added as he helped Alice with her raincoat then grabbed their bags.

Edward walked out behind them and shut the door.

"I would say strap him to the top but he might scratch my car."

Alice looked back at him giggling, "Or crush the roof."

Emmett held his seat forward so the others could climb in the back then got in and shut his door. Edward started the engine and headed down the drive.

"Laugh it up fuzzballs."

The car stopped, Edward staring at Emmett.

"Really? Star Wars? I expected better from you, it isn't fun if it's too easy"

Emmett laughed, "What? It worked didn't it?"

Edward just shook his head and continued on to school.

Jasper stopped walking and looked at Alice who had froze in the middle of the hallway. The last bell had rung and throngs of students parted around them jostling their way out the high school doors.

"Alice?"

No response, her eyes unfocused. To make it look less conspicuous he opened his bag and dug through it, talking loudly to her.

"I know it's in here somewhere, hold on, I'll find it."

No one gave them more than a passing glance. The time ticked by. Two minutes, three. After five Jasper was ready to pick her up and walk out regardless of what people thought.

"Alice?"

He said her name gently squeezing her hand. Finally, she blinked at him and squeezed back.

"You okay love? What was it?"

"Same thing only this time when it started everything went silent, like I was deaf. After a minute I started to hear wind blowing and something else... maybe creaking metal? I'm not sure."

They walked out into a normal dreary Forks afternoon. Overcast, cold, and wet. They wound their way through the maze of ever present puddles to the car. Edward was leaned against the driver side door, waiting patiently.

"Hey Pixie Stick, heard you were blocking traffic in the hallway."

He smiled down at her as she stuck out her tongue at him then dodged his hand when he tried to ruffle her short black hair.

"I know, that one lasted a bit too long. I can't very well start doing that all over the school. People might start to think I'm strange."

He raised one eyebrow at her joke and made no comment.

She smacked his arm, laughing.

"Seriously though, what about the sounds? That hasn't happened before."

"I actually didn't hear them, but I heard you tell Jasper about it. I can normally see and hear what you do in your visions so that's another difference to pay attention to. At this point, it's just another piece of information."

The last car started up and drove away making Jasper glance at his watch.

"Where are they?"

Alice opened the door and climbed in the back seat. Edward listened for a minute and his crooked grin returned to his face. He held the seat up while Jasper ducked in beside Alice.

"Apparently Emmett picked today to find dissecting frogs morally wrong and started a small riot in biology. They will be out in a second."

They could already hear Emmett apologizing to Rosalie as they pushed through the heavy metal doors. She walked out first, ignoring his pleas, and pushed past Edward into the back seat.

Emmett reached the passenger door and stopped. He smirked and shrugged at Edward over the top of the car.

"I was bored."

They got into the car in time for Edward to see Rosalie roll her eyes then stare out the window scowling. He shook his head as he pulled out of the lot. Edward knew he wasn't always great to be around. After all the things they had done to help him it was a gross understatement. But he knew that he had plenty in his life to be grateful for and he treated his family like the precious gifts they were. Rose was a different story. Deep down she loved them all but she focused on what she couldn't have and let it keep her bitter and angry. She refused to acknowledge anything positive in her life. He often wondered if she preferred to be that way. She couldn't even see what she had to be happy about. He could only wish that someday he would find what Rose took for granted. Yes, he had the family that he loved but he was still alone.

Vampires mate for life. Like everything else about them it is eternal. The bond is formed in only a moment or two. It is permanent, mutual, irrevocable, and there is no chance of mistaking it for something else as vampires otherwise do not fall in love. Watching his family, three perfectly matched pairs, the intense connection between mates was undeniable. Something he had never experienced and feared he never would.

The cars tires left the blacktop as he turned onto the hidden drive to their home. He gunned the engine, swinging the rear end around, then flying down the twisting mile long stretch and slid to a stop a few feet from the front porch.

_Idiot._

Rose tossed her long blond hair back as she walked away. He sighed, feeling a little sorry for her. But only a little. He was in a better mood today than he had been in ages. Every so often during the drudgery of the school day he would recall that wonderful scent and it sent his spirits soaring for a little longer. Now he was almost antsy. He wanted to run.

_I'll tell them you'll be back soon._

Alice knew he wanted to be alone for a while. Being surrounded by happy couples makes it hard to keep your mind from wandering in that direction. He didn't want that to dampen his mood so he ran. The trees shuddered as he raced between them. Animals barely registered his presence before he was gone from their senses. In a matter of minutes he had covered the thirty mile expanse of forest between Forks and the Pacific Ocean. He skidded to a stop at the edge of a cliff sending a small shower of earth and pebbles down into the waves below.

Even without the need for oxygen, breathing was almost automatic and it felt good. Refreshing. He could taste the salty air, the pine trees, even the animals.

_Hey!_

Edward whirled around into a crouch, snarling. Of course there was no one behind him so he pushed his mind out, trying to hear her again and pinpoint her location. He was met with silence. Even the animals were quiet, scared into hiding by him. Slowly he stood still listening intently. If someone was close enough for him to hear it should be no problem to find them. He should be able to hear them moving and possibly smell them. Strangers were harder for him to "pick up" and he could only do so within a short distance. Generally about a mile radius was the limit even when he was trying. He could hear his family members up to about three miles That definitely wasn't any of them and he definitely had not been trying to hear anyone. Cautiously he began to make his way back afraid that he might suddenly run into this person.

Alice and Jasper were sitting in the living room watching the History channel, commenting on facts that weren't quite factual. They looked up as he came through the door.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked as he sat down across from them.

He ran his hand through his hair.

"I'm not sure that anything is wrong to be honest. I heard someone when I was out running."

"Mmmmhmmm...well continue, you've been hearing voices for a long time so it can't stop there." Her golden eyes twinkled with amusement.

"I heard," he tapped his head, "a girl yell hey, but there was no one close enough for me to have heard them. I was out on the cliffs, too far from the reservation or the highway."

Jasper's mind was working overtime thinking of possible scenarios but not coming up with much that Edward hadn't already considered and dismissed.

"A boat maybe?"

"I already thought of that but I didn't hear a boat or smell any humans."

"Maybe if it was drifting, and barely came into your range? I know it's a stretch but it's something."

"Hmph. Possible. Better than the nothing I've come up with."

"Maybe you're losing your marbles and starting to hear the local wildlife." Emmett's voice carried easily down to them from upstairs.

Edward laughed.

"I sure hope so, they are bound to be wittier than you."

Emmett chuckled.

_We have to tell everyone what's been going on._

Edward met Alice's eyes and nodded at her in agreement. He didn't believe in coincidence and too many odd happenings in a short amount of time usually lead to something more.

Carlisle had been listening from his study and was on his way down the stairs. Esme walked in from her greenhouse and took off her dirty gloves before coming to sit on one of the three white couches that surrounded the stone topped coffee table.

"Do you think she is one of us?" she asked as she settled down next to Carlisle.

"I don't know Esme, all I heard was that one word. No smells, no tracks, nothing."

"I haven't had any visions of visitors." Alice piped up. She felt guilty not having any answers.

"I have however been having the visions, if you would call them that, of nothing. They are blank. I've had five so far. The last one blocked off all sound around me, but then I heard wind and a creaking noise."

"Blank visions?" Carlisle looked back and forth from Alice to Edward. Since he was witness to her visions, he was included in the questioning glance.

"Just blackness. Like she has her eyes closed. But they also have a feeling to them. Heaviness, almost like they are pushing you down."

"Has anything else happened?" Carlisle asked.

"Well, I'm not sure. Again. It could just be me but does anyone else feel...I don't know how to explain it. Something in the air? That sounds stupid." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"No, Edward, I feel it too. For a few days now. I've felt like I'm waiting for something. Excited but nervous, too. It's hard to explain."

Esme had leaned forward and scooted to the edge of her seat as she spoke. Now she stood up and started wringing her hands.

"It feels like a good thing though, right? Surely nothing bad is going to happen here in Forks? We've been so careful."

Edward stood and gently took her hands.

"Don't worry Esme, we'll figure it out. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

He kissed her cheek.

"Probably just a glitch in the matrix." Emmett, straight faced, leaned against the wall at the bottom of the stairs.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose and stifled a laugh. Jasper actually snorted before catching himself which sent Alice into a fit of giggles.

"Emmett dear, you are truly one of a kind."

"Why thank you, Mom." He bowed to her grinning ear to ear.

"Would anyone care to join me for a snack?"

"Maybe next time, I have paperwork to finish for tomorrow."

Carlisle clapped Emmett's shoulder as he walked past him and back upstairs.

Esme followed after him.

"Whoever goes out please be careful? Cell phones on?"

Emmett nodded and smiled down at her. She gently touched his cheek before continuing on her way.

"We will!" Alice grabbed Jasper and Edward and pulled them towards the back door.

"Isn't Rosalie coming?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, she's just changing clothes." Emmett turned facing up the stairs and cupped his hands to his mouth.

"Rosie! The deer told me they'd love to see you in that little black number from last night."

Their bedroom door slammed shut. Rosalie made her way down to them, glaring at her husband the entire time. She smacked his head as she walked by him and out the door. Emmett winked at them and zipped after her. They heard a shriek as he threw her over his shoulder and raced into the forest.

Alice, Jasper, and Edward followed at a slower pace, all smiles over Emmett's antics. Before they could get in far enough to start looking for food, Alice stopped in her tracks. At her side in an instant, Jasper watched as the glazed stare of a vision turned to a look of sheer terror, panic welling up in her and rolling off her in waves he could feel. They watched helplessly as it escalated. Her breathing coming in tiny gasps, her eyes wide but no longer vacant. She stared in horror at something only she could see.

Jasper slowly put his arm around her waist and cupped her face in his hand.

"Alice, love, I'm here, you are safe."

Her eyes met his but there was no recognition in them. Instead her body began to tremble. She pushed his hands away and turned to run but stumbled over her own feet and fell to the ground. She scrambled to stand up and took off only to fall again fifty feet away.

Jasper and Edward sped to her side. She lay in the leaves, curled up, sobbing.

"Sweetheart, what is it, we can't see whatever is scaring you."

He tried to pull her to him but she turned from him again and tried to crawl away. Jasper caught her easily and wrapped her in his arms. Talking gently trying to calm her down but it was like she couldn't hear him. The more he tried to comfort her, the more she resisted. Her sobs turned into frightened pleas to let her go and she battered him with her tiny fists. There was no force behind her attacks but she looked as though she was trying with all her might to get free.

Edward just watched, his stone heart wrenching inside him along with Jasper's.

Her pleas suddenly broke into an ear splitting scream that cut off short as she sagged in Jasper's arms.

He looked questioningly at Edward.

"There was nothing that I could see."

At a loss he left it at that and shrugged.

Jasper scooped her up, cradled her to his chest, and ran for home.


	3. Chapter 3 The Fog is Lifting

**Chapter 3 **

**Monday **

Panicked questions flooded Edward's mind and he winced at the sudden onslaught. Carlisle and Esme reached them before they hit the tree line. Esme's hands flitted over Alice from her head to her feet. She looked from Jasper's stricken face to Edward's and back to Alice.  
"What happened, is she okay? Why is she unconscious, I didn't know we could be unconscious. Carlisle, do something! Alice sweetie, it's Esme, talk to me on open your eyes honey."  
Rosalie slid to a stop when she caught sight of Alice, Emmet pulling up short along side her.  
Carlisle put his arm around Esme.  
"Let's get her back to the house."  
Esme nodded, never taking her hands from Alice.

"I didn't see anything Carlisle, it was like one of the visions she has been having. Nothing but that feeling only this time I felt the fear she was experiencing. She definitely saw something."  
Edward ran his hand through his hair and stared at Alice's tiny body laying on the couch. Jasper at one end and Esme at the other. Carlisle had no way of knowing if she would wake up. Without vital signs to check and without Edward seeing anything all they could do was wait. She had even stopped breathing.  
They sat in silence with their thoughts. Memories of their combined lives and possibilities of a future without Alice danced quickly through each mind. Edward tried to block them out but failed. Only Jasper was quiet. He stared intently at his mate, trying to will her eyes open. Edward squeezed his shoulder in support but Jasper didn't acknowledge him at all. There were no emotions emanating from him. Carlisle must have seen the perplexed look on Edward's face.  
_He is in shock._  
The words overpowered all others flooding his mind even though they sounded hollow. Edward glanced up to meet his father's eyes. What he saw made him freeze.  
Carlisle looked hopeless.

With one more gentle squeeze to Jasper's shoulder and a nod to the others, Edward walked out the door. The rain, which had miraculously held off for two days started to fall as he jumped across the stream behind their house and trudged into the woods again. He rubbed his face in his hands and ran them through his hair trying to block out the worried thoughts of his family and focus on the quiet spot that was his sister and best friend. The stress made it almost impossible but he knew he had to be able to hear her so he kept putting distance between himself and the others.  
As he walked, he went over everything from the past few days. What could have happened? He was right there, she had been terrified of something but what could possibly cause a vampire to pass out? If that's even what was wrong with her. Strange non-visions then this. Edward tried to find any reasoning to the situation and couldn't. Maybe she was right and something was wrong with her when this started . But then, he had experienced a couple out of the ordinary occurrences too. Surely there wasn't something wrong with both of them? And what about Esme? She had picked up on the "feeling" all on her own before she knew about the rest. No, there was definitely something going on. He had no inkling of what but some outside influence was at work here. If he was right then Alice should be fine, vampires weren't exactly fragile.  
Edward pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. The voices of his family had faded but he could hear a buzzing in his mind. It didn't stop so he tried to ignore it and concentrate. After a few steps the buzzing got suddenly louder, he shook his head again and a bright white light flashed behind his closed lids. As the flash faded so did the buzzing. He refocused on Alice, wondering if this was coming from her, and started back towards the house. The rainfall had gotten very heavy. It battered the trees around him noisily as he walked. If it was any louder he could have missed what came with the next bright flash in his mind. He stopped and tilted his head, listening. For a moment he thought he heard people talking. A lot of people. He got the distinct impression of a busy sidewalk, he could almost feel the people moving around him. Before it had completely faded away he was moving again. Was Alice awake? Having visions? He picked up his pace as another flash hit him, this one much brighter than the last. The sounds of horses and trolleys filled his ears. A car horn blared from behind him just as it all faded away. Water pooled around his feet as he took the porch stairs two at a time and threw the door open. Everyone turned to stare at him and he clutched his head as the brightest flash yet blinded him then blossomed into a busy city sidewalk then vanished just as quickly.  
When he opened his eyes Alice stared at him from where she sat crushed against Jasper's chest. Her brows pulled together with unspoken questions.  
"Alice, thank goodness!" Esme clutched her chest in relief.  
Carlisle, who had jumped to Edward's aid when the vision hit, stood with his hand firmly on Edward's arm and looked at both of them.  
"Alice are you okay? Edward?"  
Alice nodded, "I think so."  
Edward nodded, still dazed from the bright flash.  
"Can either of you tell us anything about what just happened?" He steered Edward toward a chair and sat him down.  
Still clutched in Jasper's arms Alice looked worried.  
"I have no idea. I was fine when we went into the woods then felt like I was going to have a vision. Instead I saw nothing but was so afraid I could barely move. Then nothing until now."  
Carlisle turned to Edward.  
"I went out to clear my head so I could concentrate on Alice but there was this buzzing in my head, like an electrical current. Then blinding flashes of light and when I came in the last light turned into an image. No, not an image, more than that. It was like I was there."  
"Where?"  
"Judging by the clothes, an early 1900s busy city street."  
"Flashbacks Ed-O? I told you not to eat any hippies, dude acid will come back to haunt you."  
Emmett had had his fill of drama for a while.  
"Good to have you back little bit, don't scare us like that again." He took Rose's hand and they walked up the stairs.

"Well we are at a stand still again it seems. I don't want you two going to school with all of this going on. We don't need attention drawn to the family. We will need to figure out an excuse to keep you home as long as needed."  
"I'm staying too." Jasper was still shaken over what had happened.  
"Of course." Carlisle would never tell him otherwise. "Maybe it should be all of them."  
Esme nodded, "I'll call the school in the morning and make the arrangements."

Edward was eyeing Alice who had been exceptionally quiet through all this. She looked tired and more than a little scared. Jasper was trying to keep her calm but some of her panic and confusion was still echoing off of him. They silently got up and went to their room. Carlisle and Esme went to secure the reason for the extended absence. He was left alone as usual which made the living room feel anything but living so he made his way upstairs. He looked at his clock. 7:30. Three and a half hours since he came home feeling like everything was finally looking up and now this. The rain pelted the windows and he realized he was still soaked from getting caught in the downpour. He pulled sweatpants and a t-shirt out of his drawers and went to take a shower.  
The hot water seemed to ease some of the tension and his mind started to churn. What the hell was going on? He couldn't make any connection between what was happening with Alice and himself but it had to be related. Alice having visions that aren't visions and feeling fear caused by what? If she had no idea what was causing it then how and why was it affecting her?  
The buzzing in his head which he just realized had never really stopped started to get stronger again. He closed his eyes anticipating the painful flash but the light was almost nonexistent this time, the image floated into his mind as if it were his own thought and slowly came into focus.  
Directly in front of him was an ornate garden fountain with a woman pouring water from a pitcher. Morning Glory vines wound their way up and around her, the flowers closed in the afternoon sun. He tried to look to the side but found he couldn't. The view turned toward women's voices as they walked through an arch into the garden. They were in full dress complete with the large fancy hats so popular in that day. He felt himself smile at them then reach for a teacup sitting on the table in front of him. As his hand came into view he saw the lace trim on the sleeve of a dress. Abruptly it all vanished. Quickly he dried off and dressed then grabbed an empty journal off his shelf. He wrote everything that had happened and all he had seen. It still all totaled to nothing. He laid the journal next to the pillows, walked down the hall to Alice and Jasper's room and gently knocked.  
Jasper's voice didn't sound much better than earlier, his thoughts still worried about his wife who was laying on the bed with her head on Jasper's chest thinking of nothing.  
"Are you okay?" He sat on the side of the bed.  
"I don't know. I just don't understand any of this and I feel so strange. Whatever happened to me, the fear and panic, I have never felt anything like that. How could I feel something Ive never experienced while perfectly safe in my yard with you two? It feels like there's someone in my head."  
"Well, I think that's exactly what it is. I wanted to tell you what Ive been seeing. I thought maybe I was somehow seeing visions through you but I can't see what you can't see. I think you are right. It's not coming from either of us. Someone, somehow is putting this all into our heads."  
Jasper had been quiet but at the thought of an outsider getting to Alice his defenses went up.  
"Someone like Jane?"  
"That I don't know Jaz. It remains to be seen. So far none of this seems to be malicious. Or even intentional for that matter. There hasn't seemed to be any point behind any of it yet."  
Alice looked at Edward. "Wait, what were you saying about you seeing visions?"  
"Oh, yes, well the one when I came in the door earlier and I had another just a few minutes ago. This time I was having tea in an English garden. There were ladies walking around in dresses and those ridiculous hats they loved back then. Then I went to pick up my tea and saw that "I" was wearing a lace trimmed dress."  
"Oh Eddie, Freud would have a field day with you." Emmett laughed.  
"Em, do you ever give it a rest?"  
"Nope."  
Carlisle came in and leaned against the door frame. "I think you may have hit on something. There's a vampire I know, Zafrina, she can make you believe you are wherever she chooses by projecting the image and sensory perceptions into your mind. There is always the possibility of someone having similar talents. I don't see how we would have missed anyone else being in the area but we can look around the area see if we can pick up any scents. Even if they mean us no harm we can't have them hunting in our area."  
Alice hid her face in her hands.  
"I'm sorry Carlisle. I should have seen something but whatever is going on really must be blocking all my visions."  
Jasper wrapped her in his arms. "It's not your fault darlin', no one blames you at all. Don't worry about any of this, we can take care of it. It's just a matter of figuring out what we need to do."  
"No, Alice, I am sorry. I didn't mean to imply you should have known. It's just strange someone has come close enough to affect you two with their gift and yet left no trace of themselves."  
Carlisle shook his head.  
"No, you just need to rest and let us take care of you this time."  
Edward started to get up when her eyes glazed over and her face went slack. They all waited in silence, Jasper tense and ready for anything his hands hovering inches from her body. Edward thought he saw a flash of something from her mind but knew it was just as likely coming from his. After only a few moments she refocused on Carlisle and a small smile lighted her face.  
"I saw something!"  
"What?" All three men asked at once.  
"I have no clue but it was definitely something! It was too blurry to make out but I'll take that over nothing any day. I also heard that noise again. I'm positive it is metal hitting against metal, I could even hear the wind that time."  
Edward ran his hand through his hair.  
"I saw it too, but again I didn't hear any noise."  
"If only something would give us a little more to go on. Right now it's just a waiting game."  
"Well, tomorrow we will all go hunt together and look for signs of our visitor." Carlisle sighed.  
"Other than that I too am at a loss."


	4. Chapter 4 Lightning in a Bottle

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it ;)

**Chapter 4**

**Thursday**

Esme had called the school Tuesday morning and told them the Cullen children would be out until further notice due to an out of state family emergency.

No sooner had she hung up the phone than they were all out the door.

They, of course, found nothing. They searched the cliffs, inland to the mountains, and the outlying areas of Forks skirting the Quileute lands. There were no traces of anyone crossing the treaty line. Carlisle wondered if he should alert the tribe elders to be on guard but decided he would wait till they knew more.

Rose seemed to take her cue from the weather, her mood darkening as fast as the incoming clouds. By Wednesday she was unbearably snippy and refused to have any more to do with the search.

Alice's visions had increased in frequency but hadn't progressed beyond blurry shapes and darkness so she quickly lapsed back into despondency. She began acting even more strange; fidgeting and pacing, tapping her foot or fingers.

Jasper was so worried he had a hard time controlling what he was radiating to everyone around him creating a vicious cycle of emotions for everyone.

With all of the tension floating around the house, it was stifling.

Edward tried to be there for Alice but she wasn't herself and he felt like more of a nuisance than anything. The only reprieve he could find was the sanctuary of his bedroom with it's comforting scent or the serenity of the forest where he could be alone. His visions had increased some but had become noticeably darker. The beautiful garden and city street had been replaced by gloomy forests, rolling storm clouds, and brief flashes of red. He had no idea what the red was but felt it was important.

Today brought the end of the search. For two days they had trekked through the mountains and Coastal Range searching for any signs of their visitor all to no avail. The weather had continuously gotten worse, unrelenting thunderstorms and violent storm winds now battered the coastline. If there ever were any clues to find they were gone.

They sat in the living room staring at the television. The search had been more of a distraction then anything and now that it was over the situation weighed on them all.

Esme stood and walked to the wall of glass. Watching as the little bit of light that managed to fight through the cloud cover began to fade. Another day with no answers

Alice's incessant tapping had finally subsided and she looked more like herself, only tired.

Edward mused over this fact. He had always thought they looked tired with their pallid skin and dark circles around their eyes but he knew different now. It was something behind her eyes that made him realize this was taking a much bigger toll on her then she was letting anyone see. She looked vacant.

He was still looking at her face when he heard the buzzing, an instant later a flash of light and another face replaced hers. It had the same pale skin and dark circles but the eyes were deep crimson and sinister. That image melted into a dark cold room for a moment then thick trees sprouted from the floor and rain started pouring down. He felt his vision self start running. His steps were sluggish, like running through water. The vines and branches grabbed at his legs and clothes making him trip. He got up and kept moving. There was light filtering through the trees not far ahead and he knew somehow that the light meant safety. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't reach it. A familiar smell hit him and instead of venom flooding his mouth and sparking the normal craving, his stomach turned at the salty rust smell. He turned his palms up and stared at the blood seeping from the cuts. It must have happened when he fell.

Edward knew it wasn't really him experiencing this but it felt impossibly real. The visions kept getting more and more confusing. What was this vampire trying to convey to them, if anything? It all seemed meaningless and random. Only a few factors had been consistent and even those made no sense. He shook his head slightly as the vision dissipated.

"Eyes. Red eyes. That's what I was seeing."

Alice looked at him, stood up, and walked away. He stared after her in confusion.

_Forgive her son, she is used to being the one with answers. She is struggling with this situation more than the rest of us._

"Vampire eyes? Did you see a face to go with the eyes?" Carlisle asked, drawing Edwards attention away from Alice.

"Yes, but only a very vague one."

"Do you think it was the one we are looking for?"

"I just don't know Carlisle. The visions are getting more and more confusing. None of the images tell me anything that I can decipher. There were trees and rain, a dark room, and a light I was trying to get to but couldn't. Like I was stuck. By itself that might make sense but what of the tea party and city street? Together they mean nothing."

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. Then laid his face in his hands.

"Edward, we will figure this out, you need to believe that."

He didn't lift his face.

"I don't see how Carlisle. Look at Alice, I don't think she can deal with much more of this. She is losing herself because she can't fix this and we should be able to help her and we can't. I need to make it better for her and I can't."

"This isn't just on you, son. We are all at a loss here."

He looked up at Carlisle.

"But I'm the one getting the clues. I owe her."

Carlisle nodded in understanding.

The little pale pink candles sat on the end table between his couch and mountain of pillows. He reached up and plucked one from the dark stained wood and glass tray Alice had arranged them on. It was masculine yet elegant and fit nicely in his room. But who would expect any less from Alice? Impeccable taste even under such stress. He held the candle under his nose and inhaled deeply. The scent made him cringe slightly. The freesia and strawberry scents were there but it was harsh and laced with other scents to make it more potent for humans no doubt. It wasn't pure and soft and natural like the scent he had caught on the breeze a few days ago but it was better than nothing.

Only a few days ago. How much their lives had been disrupted, and so quickly.

The rain beat against his windows, the sky black with clouds. His view wasn't helping any tonight so he decided to go back to the living room. Maybe some television or a game would distract him.

He wasn't alone in this thought. Alice and Jasper had reclaimed their corner of the couch. Emmett was quietly playing Call of Duty. The fact that he was quiet about it meant a lot. Rose sat next to him, bored as usual. She really needed a hobby or two. Carlisle sat reading a medical textbook and Esme had brought some of her schematics down to the kitchen table. This at least made Edward smile. No matter what, they were together.

"Alice!" Rosalie gasped, "What the hell is wrong with you, are you chewing your nails?"

Everyones eyes snapped to where she sat huddled against Jasper. She was staring back at Rose with her finger still in her mouth, eyes wide in astonishment. She slowly put her hand into her lap and hung her head.

Esme glared at Rose.

Rose bristled and stood up.

"What? Do you think she wants to have disgusting nubs for nails? It's not like she can just waltz into the nearest salon for a manicure."

Her attention flew to Jasper. His projecting had amplified the emotions in the room to an almost physical blow when Rose yelled at Alice.

"And for fucks sake, Jasper, can't you control that shit? We don't even know what the hell is going on. You're all too fucking stressed! I don't know about anyone else but I've had it with all the drama."

"Rosalie Hale!" Esme gaped at her in shock.

Rose at least had the decency to look a little ashamed under her matronly stare but made no show of apology.

"Woman!"

Surprised by Emmett's interruption, Rose slowly turned to glare at him.

"Calm the hell down."

He smiled innocently at her for a moment then his smile stretched into a huge cheesy grin.

"Now go make me a sammich."

He smacked her butt, wagged his eyebrows, and lounged back on the couch.

She snorted in disgust, rolling her eyes as she stormed up the stairs and slammed the bedroom door.

Edward looked at the floor and bit back his laughter but it was almost impossible to suppress. He looked questioningly at Jasper and saw that he too was barely containing himself. Alice's small frame was shaking which caught both of their attentions. She had her hand clamped over her mouth and her eyes squeezed shut. Her will finally broke and she fell back into the couch laughing loudly. The living room erupted around her, the tension finally breaking.

Emmett smiled at them and stood up.

"Well, my work here is done, I think I'm going to go rustle up a rabbit or two. I like having these small meals every day rather than gorging myself once a week."

He ran his hands down his stomach.

"I definitely don't feel as bloated and I think it's helping with my muscle tone."

He raised his eyebrows at them.

"No? Oh well." He shrugged and sighed loudly. " Alice would you like to come for a run with me?"

She gave him a small smile, appreciating his effort to lighten the mood, and took his outstretched hand. He held out her raincoat, grabbed his, and walked out the door. Jasper and Edward followed running through the trees in silence.

The rain had slowed enough that they weren't completely drenched so after they each had what Emmett referred to as "fast food, Cullen style" they decided to relax a little before heading back. The tension felt less concentrated in the open air. Alice swung her legs over the cliffs ledge while the three men leaned against the tall, stately pines. The ground was soggy and soaked through Alice's jeans instantly but she barely noticed.

"Sorry about Rose. I don't know why she's being like this. She's unusually wenchy even for her."

Alice just shrugged and stared out at the dark ocean and churning clouds.

Edward glanced at Jasper. He was looking at his wife with a pained expression. She was hugging herself and rubbing her arms. When she realized what she was doing she stopped and turned to them. Confusion knitted her brows.

"Guys, I think... I.. I'm cold. Very cold."

She started rubbing her arms again as her teeth began chattering. When her eyes unfocused, Jasper quickly grabbed her away from the cliff and placed her on her feet between them. She began pacing back and forth.

Edward tried to see what was going on in her mind but all he could see was static.

"Alice should we take you home, love?" Jasper hated doing anything to her without her consent.

"I think we should..." Edward began but was cut off when the hum started in his head followed by the intense flash of light. Images poured into his mind.

A middle aged woman and younger man smiling hand in hand.

A middle aged man with kind brown eyes and brown hair smiling and crying in a hospital room.

Two caskets being lowered into the ground.

The brown haired man packing boxes.

A forest rushing by through a car window.

The red eyes of a vampire.

They started over again, cycling through rapidly a few times before settling on the red eyes then the connection faded away. He was immediately overcome by Alice's vision. A perfectly clear scene of a dark bare room. They were staring at the floor, pacing, glancing up at different parts of the room. An old rusty metal door. A stack of wooden pallets rotting with age. A single unlit bulb hung from the ceiling with a pull cord. Cold cement walls with only three small dirty windows at the very tops letting in just enough light to see.

"Why? Who are they? What are they?"

Alice's words pulled Edward from her mind. He blinked and looked at Jasper and Emmett. They were staring at Alice who was still pacing frantically. She was hugging herself and chewing her nails, her eyes wide and frightened.

Jasper took a step closer to his wife.

"Alice, what is it? Who are you talking about?"

"She's having a vision Jaz. A real one."

Edward watched as she continued to mimic what was happening in the vision. He looked into her mind again. He couldn't hear a thing from inside but he could hear Alice and see what she saw. Because of Jasper they could all feel the fear, confusion, and desperation pouring off of her.

Another hum and flash of light and he was focused on those red eyes again. The emotions from Alice intensified and she suddenly doubled over then fell to her knees and violently retched what little blood was in her stomach onto the forest floor.

Jasper dropped to his knees and pulled her into his arms. She didn't struggle, didn't even act like she knew he was there.

"Holy fuck." Emmett stood watching in shock.

"Please somebody. I don't understand. I'm so scared." Alice sobbed. The fear consumed her and she wilted like a flower in Jasper's arms. Staring up into the foreboding sky, oblivious to the raindrops pelting her face.

Lightening flashed brightly behind the black clouds illuminating the night.

Without a word Jasper stood up and began the all too familiar panicked run for home, the thunder rolling ominously in his wake.

A/N: Please don't hesitate to leave a review and thanks for reading! ~TheRavyn =)


	5. Chapter 5 Heartbeats Like Thunder

A/N: I want to thank everyone that is following this story especially the reviewers. It takes me a long time to get the chapters written and edited and I'm sorry for that but I want you to know that every single alert subscription and review that pops up in my email, oh hell, every person that even glances in the general direction of this story makes me do a happy dance =). You all give me that extra push to try to write every day even if I only have a few minutes to do so. *Hugs* to all of you and please don't hesitate to contact me with questions or comments if you would rather not leave a review.

This chapter was supposed to be posted awhile ago but it turned out to have a few surprises even for me while editing. I got so into it, I couldn't find a proper place to end one chapter and begin the next, so voila! It's a twofer, lol. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Still don't own anything but my own imaginings.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Heartbeats Like Thunder**

**Thursday**

Emmett watched them disappear into the trees and turned back to Edward who was still in his trance like state. Thunder clapped loudly overhead again.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty," he waved his hands in front of Edward's face.

"Oh Eddddie?" he said in a sing song voice. He cleared his throat loudly and poked Edward in the forehead. Not even a flinch.

"Dude, I'm all for damsels in distress but you're just soooo not my type."

He nudged Edward's shoulder. Still nothing, his eyes stayed wide and unfocused.

"Okay princess, I draw the line at kissing you to wake you up." He crossed his arms and stared expectantly at his brother who still didn't move.

"I love you and all but i'm not in love with you." He shrugged his shoulders.

"I love you like a brother?" This time quirking an eyebrow.

"It's not you. It's me, really." He shook his head.

"Geez tough crowd tonight." He said while he picked Edward up and tossed him over his shoulder then took off after Jasper.

* * *

Edward's vision of the red eyes finally faded and he found himself dangling awkwardly upside down watching the ground rush by.

"Em, as much as I'm enjoying the ride, I'm afraid Rose would be perturbed by me staring at your backside. Besides I can run fairly well on my own."

Emmett chuckled. "You sure? It's only a little is making me feel all macho and heroic, you're really gonna take that from me?"

"Quite sure," said Edward, shaking his head. He smiled as Emmett stopped and set him on his feet.

"As you wish, princess." Emmett smirked, bowing slightly.

"Ahhh, The Princess Bride. A lovely movie." Edward clapped him on the back and straightened his clothes.

"But if you call me Buttercup I will be forced to end your existence. Another thing I'm sure Rose would not be pleased by."

Emmett just laughed. "Anytime you think you can Buttercup, I'm always game."

Edward's smile faded and his face turned serious as they continued toward the house.

"What happened?"

Emmett shook his head. "It was crazy! She fell to the ground, threw up, said "Please somebody I don't understand I'm so scared" Then just sort of sagged and blanked out. She was still out of it when they left."

They jumped the river together and went inside.

* * *

Everyone had reconverged in the living room. Alice, looking alert and like herself, was on Jasper's lap, his arm wrapped protectively around her.

Emmett veered to the left and joined Rose leaning against the wall. He pulled her back against his chest and kissed the top of her head.

Edward stopped in the middle of the room and found Alice staring intently at him, that familiar spark back in her eyes. Having more of a grasp on the situation had brought back her confidence.

"She's human." They both said in unison.

"Human!" Esme gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

"Are you positive?" Carlisle questioned them his eyes moving back and forth to each of them.

"And from what I can tell, she's either being held by a vampire or there is one somehow involved in her situation."

Alice nodded and turned her attention to Edward as he spoke.

"It's even more unbelievable but it makes sense. The images at least. What I'm receiving have got to be dreams. They are either random and chaotic or extremely out of place settings. I don't think we will get any useful information from them so we should focus on Alice. It's as if Alice becomes her, reacting emotionally and physically the way the girl is."

Alice spoke up, "More like I'm shoved in her body and mind and along for the ride." The little vampire's eyes were wide and dazed, remembering.

"I have no control over anything. I see through her eyes, exactly what she sees. Everything about her takes over my body. Thoughts, actions, senses. She bit her lip and I felt the pain, tasted the blood, but instead of making me thirsty it turned my stomach."

She turned to Carlisle.

"I can only tell you what she chooses to think about or what I can figure out from her body and feelings. She isn't doing well at all. She is freezing, starving, and dehydrated. She is terrified of whoever put her there and the red eyes she keeps thinking about. Psychologically she is even worse, not just because of her current situation. Her thoughts are very erratic but I know something horrible happened to her family, she was thinking of them and started falling apart. I'm not sure how much longer she can hold on. Or how much longer she will want to."

Edward listened closely while Alice spoke, her words reassuring him. It seemed he was not the only one concerned by what they had seen.

"Am I the only one troubled by the fact that she is just a human?"

Jasper's question was met with uncertain stares.

"Oh thank God," Rose sighed loudly.

"At least one of you has some sense left. Thank you Jasper, I agree. Just because these two get all drama queen over everything doesn't mean we need to get involved."

Edward gritted his teeth. "We are already involved Rosalie, not by our own choice might I remind you."

She shrugged "All the more reason to not get further involved. It has nothing to do with any of us so why should we be dragged into it unwillingly?"

This time, Alice didn't let Rosalie's spiteful behavior go unchecked. She apparently found it much easier to defend the girl than to defend herself.

"Rosalie, I can't ignore this. I can't just make it stop. For whatever reason I'm," Alice glanced at Edward and corrected herself. "We are connected to this girl. Besides even if we could turn it off we wouldn't. She desperately needs our help and not all of us are unwilling."

Jasper shook his head.

"Actually Rose if the problem was whether to help or not I'd be all for it. That's not what I was getting at."

He directed his argument at Carlisle, knowing the safety of his family came first.

"She has managed to incapacitate these two, basically taking over Alice's entire being, from far enough away that we are unable to find even a trace of her. All while she is human. None of you are at all worried about what she could be truly capable of?"

He was met with a stunned silence.

Emmett pushed away from the wall.

"The force is strong with this one." Nodding his head, he took a seat in one of the chairs and joined the conversation.

"Seriously though, if she is any kind of a threat, wouldn't it be a little harder to keep her locked up against her will?"

"Not necessarily. Only two of us have been affected by her, and they both have mind related gifts. It's very possible that they are more receptive to her and therefore easier for her to connect with."

Edward shook his head. "Jaz, I don't think anything she's done has been intentional."

"Regardless of intentions, even if she couldn't or wouldn't hurt you, what happens if she connects with one of you at the wrong time? What happens if you get stuck in one of her visions, absolutely helpless, while trying to help her? What happens if Alice does? I doubt whoever is keeping her will let her go without a fight and in that state anyone could make easy work of you. I won't let Alice be put in that situation."

Alice elbowed him in the chest but he ignored her.

"I absolutely understand your feelings Jasper but are we supposed to just pretend like this connection doesn't exist, all the while watching her die?"

"Rather than risk one or both of you? Yes. And no, Edward, I don't believe you do absolutely understand my feelings. You have never felt for anyone what I feel for Alice and until you do I can guarantee you do not understand at all."

"I agree with Jasper, " Rose said, "It's not worth it."

Frustrated, Edward closed his eyes and tried to stay calm. He turned and walked to the wall of glass and watched as the rain continued to drown the landscape. Letting the sound of it drown out the conversation behind him, he reigned in the anger that had built inside him only to have it replaced by a torrent of other emotions he was even more uncomfortable with. He glanced quickly at Jasper, thankful he was so intently focused on Alice. He couldn't explain any of what he was feeling and didn't want to try right then.

He had naturally assumed his worry was for Alice, and to an extent it was, but the impact of what he had felt when they linked with the girl together had overrode his concern for anyone but her. It was all consuming, heart wrenching, physical agony to see her and not be able to help her. His insides had rearranged themselves completely. His mind and heart switching roles with the latter swelling so full of hurt and fear for the girl that it crushed any logical thought left in him. A fierce need to save and protect her had ignited instantly.

A stranger.

He wanted to hold her, comfort her, make everything better.

A human stranger.

He silently shook his head and leaned it against the glass.

A fragile, breakable, human stranger.

He wanted to find the monster responsible and tear them limb from limb for ever having laid a hand on her.

With that thought his hands subconsciously balled into fists and he barely caught a snarl before it slipped from his lips. Only a glimpse of his reflection in the window had stopped him. Wild, unkempt hair and angry yet bewildered eyes. He was letting his calm facade slip.

Chuckling quietly at his own irrational behavior, he sighed and loosened his fists.

If his family discovered any of the inner turmoil he was going through, they would think him utterly insane. As it was, his own thoughts were veering in that direction. He knew logically what he was experiencing was unfounded, but that knowledge did nothing to lessen the intensity of his emotions and logic didn't seem to have a place in any of it.

_Are you alright son?_

Carlisle's soft voice rang in his head. He nodded slightly in response, not turning away from the window.

_If you need to talk, I'm here. That goes for all of us. I need you to remember that._

The corners of Edward's lips rose in a stiff smile. Carlisle would be watching him closely. He could feel Jasper's lingering gaze on his back. He may be able to mask his feelings on the outside but there's no hiding from an empath. Risking a glance at his brother he was met with an intense stare. He held it for a moment.

_When you want to explain all that I'm feeling from you, I'll be here. Don't shut us out again Edward, you know it doesn't help._

Jasper's hands never faltered where they lovingly rubbed Alice's arms but she somehow sensed the conversation. She glanced at her husband and followed his gaze and her shoulders fell.

_Don't do that Edward, please? Don't pull away from us. This will all work out somehow. We love you and you may not believe it but we all need you just as much as you need us. Well, maybe not Rose but she's a wench anyways._

She wrinkled her nose in dislike.

Just as she had planned it to, he was sure, the face made him laugh and start to relax. He looked out the window again and took a deep breath. Regardless of his internal struggle, he needed to play his part in all of this. Right now that part was convincing them of what he already knew. That this girl needed to be saved, even if he had to do it alone. And that no matter what happened she was unconditionally and irrevocably worth it.

_Whatever it is just say it. If it feels right inside of you, Edward, chances are that it is._

Her impish smile and faith in him boosted his confidence enough to say the words that needed to be said. He turned back towards his family.

"She needs help and she is going to get it. A human-blood-drinking-vampire is holding her captive for God knows what purposes. She is dying slowly as we speak and yet here we are arguing over whether or not it's worth it to risk something possibly happening to a seven member strong coven of vampires? Fine, Alice, you and I aren't allowed to go anywhere alone. Problem solved."

"And you," he glared at Rosalie, "You of all people should know the horror of being at the mercy of monsters. How dare you think anyone's life is worth so little?"

He saw the remorse in her golden eyes for a fraction of a second before she hid it behind her carefully crafted sneer. She shrugged her shoulders and flipped her hair behind her shoulder before settling her own glare at him.

"She is nothing to me. Humans die all the time."

With that she headed once again for her bedroom.

Edward stared furiously at her retreating back. He felt someone gently take his hand and looked down to see Esme's loving smile. She squeezed his hand in reassurance.

"I'm sorry Edward," Jasper eyed him curiously. "I didn't realize how strongly either of you felt about this."

Alice stared at Jasper intently as he spoke. They had apparently been having their own silent debate.

"No don't apologize Jaz, I agree with you about the safety issues. I do, however, think that as long as we take precautions there's nothing to worry about."

He looked at the floor while trying to find a way to say what he wanted to say.

"There is no way I can let this go. Maybe it's just the link I have with her, I don't know, but we are connected. I feel this is much bigger than we realize and everything depends on finding this girl."

He looked up expecting the worst from their reactions but found only understanding smiles.

"I feel the same." Alice turned to Jasper and kissed him gently.

"I know you're worried but this is important. If it was me, you would risk everything. We would all do that for each other."

Jasper nodded and turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand that still lay on his cheek.

"Edward and I are not drama queens," she stuck her tongue out at the ceiling making him grin. "For some reason, she already feels like a part of us. So like Edward said, there is no way we can let this go. And if we do manage to find her maybe we will find out why."

She looked at Edward and smiled, her eyes twinkling.

Curious, he went against his own rule and tried to peek at what she was thinking. All he found were images of his siblings he would rather have not seen. If he could show his embarrassment, he knew he would be red to the tips of his ears. As it was, he didn't need to blush. Jasper felt it and passed it on while he burst out laughing.

"What?" Alice asked, looking the picture of innocence.

Edward laughed at her and ruffled her hair.

"You are one evil little monster, Pixie Stick."

She giggled at him and jumped up to kiss his cheek.

"Sorry Edward but you don't want to know all the craziness that goes through my head."

"Okay, what do we do now?" Carlisle pulled them back to the matter at hand.

"If she is as bad off as you think, Alice, we don't have much time to find her. There are a lot of factors that affect a human's survival rate. Food, water, temperature, in this case mental and emotional distress. It has been on the cool side, if you add in the rain and wind, she could succumb to the elements alone. We have no idea what, if any, supplies she has or how long she has been without."

"Well," Edward interrupted,"we have been experiencing things for six days. We can assume that if she came from this area then that's when she was taken. Alice said she is freezing, starving, and dehydrated. That fits into a six day time frame. So let's begin by trying to find girls that were reported missing in the last six to eight days. Add the extra days just to be sure."

Alice had already pulled out her laptop and started searching local missing person reports. Her fingers flew across the keys, scanning pages in seconds.

"Okay, it looks like we have a few candidates. Melissa Anne Shannon, 15, missing for six days from Port Angeles, last seen walking home from school. Next is Tabitha Renee Miller, also 15, missing for nine days from Clallam Bay, last seen with her boyfriend, presumed runaway.

Last one is Jennifer Carols, 17, missing for eleven days from Shuwah. Last seen driving away from a friend's house. There are also a couple of missing hikers and a few questionable deaths in Port Angeles recently. Could be a feeding trail to follow."

"Do we know anything about this girl that could help us distinguish which, if any, are her?"

Edward shook his head. "Not a thing from what I've seen."

Alice thought for a moment. "There's nothing I could tell you really. I might be able to pick her out of a group based on her actions or my perceptions of her, but that's it."

"How do we figure out who she is then?" Emmett had been unusually quiet.

"Alice, do you think you would know her if you were around her things, in her house, her bedroom?" Edward looked at her hopeful.

"It's worth a shot, we don't have anywhere else to start anyway."

Jasper spoke up, "Okay, I'll go with you two. Alice, find the addresses and let's go. Hopefully the families will all be asleep."

"Already done." Alice smiled and closed her laptop.

Carlisle glanced at his watch. "It's almost time for my shift at the hospital. Keep me posted and be careful." He kissed Esme and headed out the door.

Emmett stood up. "I guess I need to find some way to appease the beast and get her in a better mood."

Rose stomped the floor so hard it shook the light fixtures. "I heard that so don't even think of coming up here."

He tapped his finger on his mouth, grinning, and started up the stairs. " Hhhmmmm... wonder what I can do..."

Esme shook her head at them. "That means my schematics can wait, greenhouse here I come."

She smiled at them and pointed at Jasper. "Stay alert soldier, you have managed to get my worry meter all stoked up. The girl is important, but family above all else."

"Yes ma'am." Jasper smiled back.

"Cell phones?" She asked while picking up her gloves.

All three held up their phones.

"Be safe, loves." Then she was out the back door.

Alice turned to face Jasper and Edward. "North to Shuwah, then Clallam Bay, then east to Port Angeles then back?" She was bouncing on her toes.

"Sounds like a plan Little Bit." Edward handed each of them a raincoat and grabbed his own before disappearing out into the dark under cover of the constant rain.

* * *

Shuwah was so close to Forks, Emmett could literally throw a rock at it. In no more than a minute they were outside the tiny one-story brick house. After circling it once they knew there were only two bedrooms, both of which were empty. A man and woman in their forties were in the living room staring blankly at the television. They looked defeated, the woman's eyes were red rimmed and swollen.

Jasper watched them, feeling all their emotions.

"Something isn't right here."

Edward turned his attention to the couple for a moment.

"It's not her. They received the call today, their daughter's body was found. She lost control and went off the road. Took searchers this long to find her."

Alice took Jasper's hand and leaned her head on his shoulder. He sent a wave of peace at them, trying to ease their suffering in some way, and they moved on.

The house in Clallam Bay was much grander. Beachfront, with tall windows and a manicured lawn, but shrouded in the same cloud of despair. The biggest difference was the couple in this house were still hopeful their daughter would return.

The man was in front of a computer in his office contemplating punishments for his daughter and ways to kill her boyfriend when they finally did come crawling back. After all, this was nothing but a teenage rite of passage of sorts, rebelling against their parents. Wasn't it?

The woman was sitting in the dining room, staring dazedly at the full glass of wine in her hand. She was wondering if it was her fault her daughter ran away. After all, it was her that forbade their daughter from talking to the boy that wasn't good enough for her. The boy she was in love with. She was mad at herself and mad at her daughter, but mostly she just prayed that her daughter was indeed somewhere safe with that same boy.

Edward shook his head in sorrow then looked up to the second story where the bedrooms were located. There was a balcony in the middle with doors leading into one of them and Alice was already perched on the railing. She held up one finger, signaling them to wait, then slipped silently into the house. She returned after a few minutes shaking her head at them from the balcony then landing soundlessly beside them.

"I really don't think this is her."

"Neither do I, the parents seem worried but fairly sure she ran away with her boyfriend. Honestly, I think if we find her we will know it."

"Me too." Alice said and turned to watch the people inside the house just as the woman dropped her wineglass and covered her face with her hands, sobbing loudly. The man came running at the sound. He pulled her to him and she buried her face in his chest.

"They really are very fragile aren't they? So many things can hurt them. Just one little accident and they are gone forever. Can you imagine worrying about that constantly?"

Edward stayed silent but Alice's words had sent another crushing blow to his insides.

_Like I said, whenever you're ready to talk about it._

"Let's go." Without even looking at Jasper, he led them back into the woods.

They followed the coastline to Port Angeles then kept to the outskirts of the city until they reached the subdivision they were looking for. Most of the houses were quiet and dark, including the one they stopped in front of. It was one in row after row of upper-middle class cookie cutter homes the only way to tell them apart was by the owners' flower preferences. They moved towards the back yard which was surrounded by a six foot tall privacy fence. On the count of three by Alice's fingers they easily leapt over it only to come face to face on the other side with two angry, snarling, silently barking giant dogs.

"Awww, puppies." A huge grin spread across Jasper's face. He held his hands out to the dogs who both immediately attacked whatever they could reach. After a minute of hurting nothing more than their own teeth they started to whine in confusion. They didn't know what to do. There was clearly a threat but they couldn't hurt him and he didn't fight back. They settled down but carefully watched every move of the three strange creatures in front of them, grudgingly letting themselves be petted.

"Why on earth would anyone have their guard dogs de-barked then put them outside? Humans are some seriously strange critters. You two do your thing, I'll keep ol' Brutus and Maximus company." Jasper said as he sat down between the two dogs and started baby talking to them in whispers.

Alice shrugged and answered Edward's amused smile with a quiet tinkling laugh. They turned to the house looking for the easiest most discreet entry point. They could hear four heartbeats inside the home, all steady and accompanied by the shallow breathing of sleep. All came from the second floor. There was no balcony to jump to and nothing to hold on to by the windows.

Edward walked over to the sliding glass door, he could break the lock with the slightest pressure but there might be an alarm system. He looked back at Alice who nodded at him. It opened with barely a touch, not even locked.

They walked into the the middle of a large eat-in modern kitchen. The table was covered with pictures and fliers of the missing girl. They showed a pretty teenage girl with long wavy brown hair and pale aqua colored eyes. There were a lot of team pictures. Softball, soccer, basketball, track, cheerleading. She was never alone in pictures, always surrounded by smiling faces.

Alice scrunched her nose at them and shook her head.

"This isn't her, I can feel that it's not. Besides, our girl only thought of three people. This girl has at least four main people in her life, the ones upstairs sleeping, and by the looks of it she has many many more than that. I think our girl is a loner. Somewhat shy and quiet. An introvert. Definitely not a cheerleader. Crud. Let's just go." She went back out the door.

Edward took a last look at the pictures. He stared at her long brown hair. Something was nagging at him. The girl looked sort of familiar but not quite right. The same feeling you get when you see someone you think you know, realize you don't, but then you still can't shake the possibility. He shook his head and stepped out the door, sliding it silently closed behind him.

Jasper was still sitting with the dogs, both of whom were now laying on their backs getting their bellies scratched, their tongues lolling out the sides of their mouths. He stood up when they opened the door and headed straight over the fence.

"Bye boys, y'all be good and take care of your family." He gave them each a final rub behind the ears then followed the others.

* * *

Forks Hospital stood a short distance off the main road and was flanked on one side by forest just like everything else seemed to be. This was the side they chose to stand on, close to the tree cover. It was 3 a.m., teenagers out at this time were generally up to no good and they didn't need attention called to them.

Edward listened for his father's mind amidst all the noise and chatter coming from the building and found him tending to a young boy.

"Carlisle?" Edward spoke quietly knowing his father would hear him.

_That was fairly quick. Any luck?_

"No. All dead ends." He grimaced at his own choice of words. "Have you heard anything on the police scanners? I'm really not sure where to go from here."

_I'll see what I can..._

His words were cut off by the screeching of tires. A car had cut the corner at the end of the street too sharp and too fast and was now headed directly towards one of the houses across from the hospital. He could see the driver slumped forwards against the wheel.

Edward looked from the car to the darkened windows of the people would never even know what hit them.

_Edward what happened?_

Maybe it was just a gut reaction or maybe he had enough reminders of human pain for the day, but for whatever reason, he acted without thinking. He launched himself across the distance placing himself between the house and car, grabbed the front bumper, and tried to brace his feet. The rain soaked earth turned to sludge, the force of the car hurling him backwards along with it on its collision course. He strained harder digging the toes of his shoes into the mud. He looked over his shoulder at the house now only a couple feet from him and groaned.

"Oh, come on." He rolled his eyes.

Quickly he turned around, placed his back against the grill, and lifted the front end of the moving car, driving his heels into the ground up to his ankles. As his feet touched the wall he stared into the darkened glass of a picture window and saw his reflection looming towards him. The car stopped.

He pulled his feet noisily from the muck and stepped out from in front of the car. Alice and Jasper both smiled from the back end.

"Could have done that a few seconds earlier."

Alice shrugged. "Wouldn't have had the same dramatic effect."

_Edward?_

"Sorry Carlisle, just had to stop a car from driving through a house. The driver is unconscious with heart palpitations and erratic breathing. Possible heart attack. No blood."

_Bring him to me. Now._

"I'm going to go back to the treeline to wait. You guys take him and the car to the hospital then I'll come cover up these tracks the best I can." Jasper jogged away from them.

"We have to hurry and get him to Carlisle."

Edward reached for the handle but the door flew open before he could touch it. The man inside half jumped and half fell into Edward's arms. He smelled like he hadn't showered in days, there was a sticky sheen of sweat covering his strained face. He clutched at Edward's shirt and looked him in the eyes.

"Bella." He whispered as his eyes rolled back in his head and he lost consciousness again.

He stared at the man in shock.

"Edward, move it." Alice shoved him towards the open back door of the car, got into the driver's seat, and put it in reverse.

He barely had his feet inside the car before she was moving. Fast but careful, she backed out of the boggy yard then sped the remaining distance to the ER. Carlisle and the nurses were on their way out as soon as the car stopped moving. One of the nurses opened the door, reached in grabbed the man under his arms, and began pulling him out. Edward followed with his feet and helped place the man on the gurney then stepped back. Carlisle didn't even glance at them before rushing away to do his job.

Jasper walked up to them.

"Still looks like a bunch of pigs wallowed in their yard but I doubt the real scenario will come up."

Edward sat back down in the car.

"Did you see? It's him."

"I did. We found him. Or rather, he found us." She smiled.

"Who is he?" Jasper looked at his wife.

"He is one of the men we saw through our girl. The most prevalent one."

One more very strange coincidence to add to the journal. After searching all over for some kind of lead, one literally fell into their laps.

Edward only allowed himself a small smile. The man may not live long enough for them to get any information from him. He had attempted to listen to his thoughts but couldn't hear anything. Maybe if he wasn't in a state of shock.

He listened to the commotion where they were still working on him. The person on the bed was a silent spot. He had never found someone he couldn't hear before. Hopefully he would have a chance to try to find out why.

"Alice, do you smell that?" He turned to look at her with a smile on his lips again.

Jasper answered for her. "It smells like your candles."

Edward breathed in deeply and held it. No, to him, this scent put those candles to shame. Experiencing it again, he realized how very little they compared to what he had caught on the breeze that day. Like a spring field of wild freesia with just a hint of fresh strawberry.

"Hhhmmmm...no, not candles."

Understanding shone in Alice's eyes.

"It's her?"

"It's her." he replied and greedily sucked in another breath.

"Bella."


End file.
